The Gently Journal: Q2 2025

Hi Gently Gang,

As we wrap up Quarter 2, I wanted to share another update on everything happening at Gently.

I’ve been staring at my keyboard for a while, trying to decide how much to share—and one truth remains: transparency and honesty are the only ways I know how to run this company.

So here’s me getting really REAL with you: funding growth is hard.

Now before the emails start rolling in—this has nothing to do with my deal on Shark Tank. That deal closed two years ago (crazy, I know—it feels like yesterday), and Gently has grown a lot since then. Candace and I still meet regularly, and she’s been an amazing mentor and my biggest champion as I navigate the complex world of credit and inventory financing. I truly couldn’t ask for a better Shark.

Here’s the thing: Raised by incredible parents who equated debt with danger, I entered entrepreneurship—still Gen Z—with zero credit history. That “thin-file” status keeps traditional lenders and financiers at arm’s length, even after Gently crossed $1M in ARR and gained national media buzz. Every inventory run is still paid from operating cash, forcing us to balance eight-week curing times with unpredictable demand spikes.

Those spikes turned into tidal waves when national features hit simultaneously. Because of your love for our products, we’ve sold out overnight on our website, on Amazon, and with our independent retail partners. Many of you were probably watching and waiting during this time—and I am eternally grateful you're still with us. But the reality is: it’s as exciting as it is stressful.

Protecting our craftsmanship while you—our customers—wait can stretch me incredibly thin. More than once, I’ve found myself packing boxes at 2 a.m. and responding to anxious emails before sunrise. The true entrepreneurial dream, right?

We got through the Shark Tank wave because I stayed transparent—but the reality was, many customers were frustrated and rightfully so.

Without access to credit, I’ve relied on non-dilutive capital—grants from Aveeno and collegiate pitch competitions—which have helped bridge production gaps and fund clinical trials for the National Eczema Seal (which we got - YEAH!), and the research and development of our shampoo bars. These grants are my lifeline: they buy us time, preserve quality, and help us avoid high-interest debt. Still, operating within those limits is incredibly challenging. I’ve probably been told ‘no’ by bankers more times in the last six months than I’d like to admit—and honestly, every rejection makes my skin itch. (Eczema puns, anyone?)

This journey has revealed three hard truths:

1. Build scalable systems before you need them.

2. Pivot faster than demand shifts.

3. Guard your mental health as fiercely as your margins.

Above all, staying authentic and creatively resourceful has helped turn constraints into catalysts for growth.

I feel incredibly blessed to have a supportive community of family and friends to lean on as the realities of fast growth and overnight success catch up to us. That support is a huge part of why I’ve made a big decision: I’m moving back to the place that feels most like home.

Gently is heading back to where it all began: Athens, GA.

This decision comes in part after losing my professor and mentor, Bob Pinckney, and realizing just how invaluable it is to be in a small-business-heavy community like Athens while navigating startup life.

So, I’ll be settling in and unpacking for most of July—and I’m genuinely excited for this fresh start.

Now, I know some of you are patiently waiting on your pre-orders for our shampoo bars, so here’s the big announcement:
Thanks to all the love from our Memorial Day Sale, the shampoo bars are officially in production and are slotted for an August launch!

You’ll get an email soon with all the details   and the story behind these products—but I want you to know that everyone who preordered will receive double what they ordered plus a free Gently soap tray as a thank-you for your patience. So if you ordered one shampoo bar—expect two!

Other exciting news:
I’ve spent the summer pitching to retailers!

Thank you to everyone who responded to our surveys—I took your retail suggestions to heart and have been using them in our outreach.

You might be wondering, Why retail? Why not stay online-only?
As someone who lives with eczema, I know firsthand how hard it is to find gentle, effective products in-store. Most of our customers say the same—wandering the aisles in pain, searching for relief that rarely comes.

Gently replaces that frustration with hope. But during a flare-up, even one day of waiting can feel like forever. Relief needs to be immediate, accessible, and local.

That’s where retail makes the difference.Being in stores nationwide would offer the access, trust, and scale our community needs—and deserves.

It’s a long road ahead, but we’ve already received interest from “the big W”—and I’ll be heading to their headquarters in Bentonville this October to try to seal the deal. Wish me luck!

You’ll hear from me again in September, but until then, please know how deeply grateful I am for each and every one of you—especially our loyal, returning customers—who fuel this company and make my dreams come true.

Because of you, I get to wake up every morning and clock into my dream job. I don’t think I’ll ever get over that. That’s why I share these updates—so you can truly be part of the journey.

Because you’re not just along for the ride—you’re the reason this train’s even running.

So hop aboard—2025 isn’t over yet, and I’m not throwing in the towel.

Like the great poet Hannah Montana once said:
It’s the climb.

With love and gratitude,
Kristen 💛